After both Patch 13.9 and its proceeding B-patch came along in early May, one particular Teamfight Tactics comp has risen to popularity once again: the Threat comp.
This trait, while simple in its nature, can prove very capable thanks to the buffed units it employs. Yet, getting these units can be tough, as none of them are cheap and you truly won’t get the comp you need until very late in a TFT game.
Related: TFT Patch 13.9 notes: Portals, Kai’Sa nerf, Aatrox buff, and more
Here is a guide for the Threat Aatrox composition in TFT Set 8.5, with how to play the early game, what champions to focus on, and what items to go for on your carry units.
The best Threat Aatrox comp build
To start, here is a rundown of all the units you need for this Threat Aatrox composition.
- Morgana (Threat)
- Rammus (Threat)
- Aatrox (Threat)
- Aurelion Sol (Threat)
- Bel’Veth (Threat)
- Fiddlesticks (Threat)
- Janna (Forecaster/Spellslinger)
- Urgot (Threat)
When it comes to positioning, the picture below is a good start. Long story short: Morgana and Aurelion Sol will go in your back two corners. Then, off of Morgana, you will surround her with Janna, Bel’Veth, and Urgot to get the Forecaster buff and help keep them alive longer. Lastly, you put the three front liners of Aatrox, Rammus, and Fiddlesticks at the top line, but closer to Aurelion Sol’s side.
Now, this comp isn’t that complicated thanks to the Threat trait. It doesn’t offer any team-wide benefits, but each Threat unit is stronger than a regular unit thanks to better base stats. Getting all the Threats is the tough part.
Early game build for the Threat Aatrox comp
Now, this isn’t the first time a composition like this has spiked in useability. The popular Aegis Aurelion Sol build wasn’t too different from this one, but it didn’t commit to the Threats as hard as this one does. Asides from that, the key difference is the early game, as you should focus on one trait to build into your Threat units: Underground.
Related: Riot quickly nerfs one of TFT Patch 13.9’s biggest winners with B-patch
For the early game, focus on getting at least three Underground units as fast as possible. These include Kayle, Ezreal, Vi, Sona, and Samira. As soon as you get them, focus on either win-streaking and stacking money or lose-streak and get as much gold from the Underground trait as you can.
Buy Threats from the shop when they’ve available and stack them on your board. Sometimes, your health can get low, but your power will spike when you choose to put the Threat units in over the Underground ones.
When it comes to leveling up, stick to this path: level three at 1-4, level four at 2-1, level five at 2-5, level six at 3-2, level seven at 4-1, and level eight at 4-2. Stick around at level eight to get all your units, and move them in accordingly.
Aatrox and Aurelion Sol are the carries in this comp
Out of all the Threat units, the two more common ones that really do the most are Aatrox and Aurelion Sol. Aatrox, with items like Bramble Vest, Dragon’s Claw, and Warmog’s Armor helps him become one of the best tanks in the game. These items work in tandem with his ability Soul Crush, which allows him to heal damage after hitting enemies around him.
As for Aurelion Sol, his recognizably strong items of Spear of Shojin, Jeweled Gauntlet, and Archangel’s Staff allow him to do high numbers of damage to units across your enemies’ board. His ability Meteor Shower is one of the few abilities in the game that can hit units across the entire board, so stacking up his magic damage is key to victory in the late game.
Fiddlesticks is your third carry, but his rarity makes it inconsistent to build specifically for him. If you do get him, Jeweled Gauntlet, Hextech Gunblade, and Archangel’s Staff are the items to get. His Dark Harvest ability allows him to lie dormant until at 70 percent health, in which he then swarms a wide area, frightens enemies, and does damage while healing himself. So, items like the Archangel’s Staff work great with him, allowing him to stack more magic damage as he lies dormant.
Last but not least, Bel’Veth is a nice champion to stack damage items on if you can’t get lucky enough to acquire magic ones. Plus, depending on how many other players in your lobby try for this composition, Bel’Veth might be a nice pickup to get just to avoid losing and start stacking up your board.